The group's real history is shrouded in mystery -- they claim to be the last great '50s group and to have been kidnapped by Laotian guerillas while entertaining U.S. troops in Vietnam and not rescued until 1983.
As of 1991, they were an octet featuring four lead singers, Marty Kaniger (also guitar), Tom Lee (also guitar), Bob Wayne, and Don Raymond (also guitar), plus John Hatton (bass), Norman A. Norman (keyboards), Bob Sandman (reeds), and Damon DeGrignon (drums).
Welcome to the Jungle
Big Daddy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Welcome to the jungle
We got fun and games
We got everything you want
Honey, we know the names
We are the people that can find
If you got the money, honey
We got your disease
In the jungle
Welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your
Sha-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-knees, knees
Wha, I, I wanna watch you bleed
Welcome to the jungle
We take it day by day
If you want it, you're gonna bleed
But it's the price you pay
And you're a very sexy girl
Who's very hard to please
You can taste the bright lights
But you won't get them for free
In the jungle
Welcome to the jungle
Feel my, my, my, my serpentine
Wha, I, I wanna hear you scream
Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh
Welcome to the jungle
It gets worse here everyday
You learn to live like an animal
In the jungle where we play
If you got a hunger for what you see
You'll take it eventually
You can have anything you want
But you better not take it from me
In the jungle
Welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your
Sha-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-knees, knees
Wha, I'm gonna watch you bleed
And when you're high you never
Ever want to come down
So down, so down, so down
Yeah, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah!
You know where you are?
You're in the jungle, baby
You're gonna die!
In the jungle
Welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your
Sha-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-knees, knees
In the jungle
Welcome to the jungle
Feel my, oh my, my, my serpentine
Jungle
Welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your
Sha-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-knees, knees
Down in the jungle
Welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your
It's gonna bring you down, huh!
The lyrics to Welcome to the Jungle by Big Daddy speak to the dangers and excitement of living life in the fast lane. The singer welcomes listeners to the "jungle," a metaphor for the wild, unpredictable world in which we live. He claims that in this jungle, "We got fun and games / We got everything you want / Honey, we know the names." Here he is referring to the pleasures and temptations of life, whether it's money, sex, or drugs. However, he also warns that dipping a toe in this world comes at a cost, "If you want it, you're gonna bleed / But it's the price you pay." He invites listeners to revel in the chaos, "Wha, I, I wanna watch you bleed," but also cautions them about the consequences.
The singer seems to be in control of this world, stating that "We are the people that can find / Whatever you may need / If you got the money, honey / We got your disease." Here, the "we" suggests a collective that thrives in this jungle, preying on the naive and uninformed. However, toward the end of the song, the singer reveals the downside of living in such a world, "You learn to live like an animal / In the jungle where we play" and that this life comes at a cost, "You're gonna die!"
Overall, the lyrics to Welcome to the Jungle by Big Daddy paint a picture of a wild and exhilarating life but one that comes at a steep price. The imagery of the "jungle" and the warnings about its dangers serve as a cautionary tale for those who may be enticed by its pleasures.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh my God
The singer is overwhelmed by what they are experiencing
Welcome to the jungle
The singer is introducing the listener to a wild place full of excitement
We got fun and games
In the jungle, there are plenty of thrilling activities to engage in
We got everything you want
Honey, we know the names
Whatever the listener desires, the people in the jungle can provide and they have a reputation for doing so
We are the people that can find
Whatever you may need
If you got the money, honey
We got your disease
The people in the jungle can procure anything, even harmful things, for the right price
In the jungle
Welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your
Sha-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-knees, knees
Wha, I, I wanna watch you bleed
The jungle is a dangerous place and forces people to their knees. The singer enjoys watching people suffer
We take it day by day
If you want it, you're gonna bleed
But it's the price you pay
Living in the jungle is difficult and often results in injury or violence, but it is what must be done to survive
And you're a very sexy girl
Who's very hard to please
You can taste the bright lights
But you won't get them for free
The listener is attractive but demanding. They can experience luxury, but it will come with a cost
Feel my, my, my, my serpentine
Wha, I, I wanna hear you scream
The artist is a dangerous presence, and enjoys the fear they instill in others
It gets worse here everyday
You learn to live like an animal
In the jungle where we play
The jungle is a harsh environment, and those who live there must adapt to the savagery of their surroundings
If you got a hunger for what you see
You'll take it eventually
You can have anything you want
But you better not take it from me
The listener can take what they desire, but it should not be taken from the singer, who is eager to protect their own interests
And when you're high you never
Ever want to come down
So down, so down, so down
Yeah, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah!
Intoxication provides temporary relief from the harshness of the jungle, but it's never enough
You know where you are?
You're in the jungle, baby
You're gonna die!
The singer reminds the listener that in the jungle, death is always present
It's gonna bring you down, huh!
The jungle will bring anyone who enters it to their knees
Contributed by Lincoln H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@pumas1192
This is a blast, holly cow how can such a masterpiece exists???
@tashikitten
Big Daddy, that's how! :)
@loninappleton
Just landed on this, an act I've followed since the first album.
Their Sargeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band is also done with this
unique blend. They do the whole album with various 50's tunes.
@tashikitten
If you're in the LA/Ventura County area, Big Daddy has an upcoming show at Bogie's in Westlake Village on Tuesday, July 9, 2019. https://www.bogies-bar.com/calendar/?cid=mc-4036c599b14f5ea95990fe3440e96b01&mc_id=10594
@basara5496
Especially at the end of "A Day in the Life", where you hear a plane engine, than the crash, and deep in the echoing piano, a recreated radio report of The Day Music Died
@melodymoon5768
🎉❤🎉❤❤
@amrak63
My ONLY complaint with this splendid cover version is that Big Daddy didn't cover the whole song. ^_^
@sirennamoyle5351
😂😂
@Awfki
I hear The Lion Sleeps Tonight and a some muffled, mostly buried, unintelligible vocals that might be Welcome to the Jungle but might also be literally anything else. I did hear the word "jungle". This seems like an amusing idea that was horribly executed.
@theconfusionman7969
What do you mean? This song is awesome!